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Vermont governor vetoes marijuana legislation

Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed a bill that would have legalized recreational marijuana in Vermont.

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Updated: 1:43 PM EDT May 24, 2017

Vermont governor vetoes marijuana legislation

Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed a bill that would have legalized recreational marijuana in Vermont.

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Updated: 1:43 PM EDT May 24, 2017

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WEBVTT >> GOOD AFTERNOON.SINCE THE LEGISLATURE PASSED S-22, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, IHAVERECEIVED A GREAT DEALOF ADVICE THIS ISSUE.I CAREFULLY WEIGHED THEADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OFTHIS PROPOSAL IN ORDER TO ARRIVEAT MY DECISION.OPINIONS ON MARIJUANALEGISLATION DO NOT ALL LEGALLY-- NEATLY.MANY VERMONTERS FEEL STRONG,BOTH FOR AND AGAINST.I TRY TO LISTEN AND LEARN FROMDIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW.I WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO HAVETAKEN THE TIME TO REACH OUT WITHTHEIR THOUGHTS.AS I LOOK AT THIS MATTER, IGENERALLY VIEW IT THROUGH THELENS OF A LIBERTARIAN.WITH THA LIBERTARIAN STREAK INME, I BELIEVE WHAT ADULTS DOBEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND ON THEIRPROPERTY IS THEIR CHOICE AS LONGAS IT DOESN'T IMPACT THE HEALTHAND SAFETY OF OTHERS.THAT IS WHY I PREVIOUSLYSUPPORTED AND CONTINUE TOSUPPORT MEDICAMARIJUANA LAWS.MANY STATES AND OUR ENTIRENATION TO THE NORTH ARE IN THEPROCESS OF MAKING IT LEGAL.I HAVE MADE IT CLEAR I AM NOTPHILOSOPHICALLY OPPOSED TOENDING THE PROHIBITION ONMARIJUANA.I RECOGNIZE THERE IS A CLEARSOCIETAL SHIFT IN THATDIRECTION.HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT THERE AREKEY QUESTIONS TO ADDRESS BEFOREMOVING FORWARD.WE MUST GET THIS RIGHT.LET THE SCIENCE AND FORM ANYPOLICY AROUND THIS DECISION,LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OFOTHER STATES AND TAKE WHATEVERTIME IS REQUIRED TO DO SO.IN MY VIEW, POLICY MAKERS HAVEAN OBLIGATION TO ALL HER-- VERMONTERS BEFORECOMMITTING THE STATE TO ASPECIFIC TIMELINE FOR MOVINGFORWARD.MORE SPECIFICALLY, AS I HAVESAID, WE SHOULD KNOW HOW WE WILLDETECT AND MEASURE IMPAIRMENT,AND IMPLEMENT ADDITIONALSUBSTANCE ABUSE EDUCATION,PENALIZES THOSE WHO DO NOT, ANDMEASURE HOW IT IMPACTS THEMENTAL HEALTH OF THECOMMUNITY'S.FROM MY VIEWPOINT S-22 DOES NOTADEQUATELY ADDRESS THESEQUESTIONS.THEREFORE, I AM RETURNING THEBILL TO THE LEGISLATURE.HOWEVER, AM ALLOWING A PATHFORWARD THAT TAKES A CLOSER LOOKAT POLICIES NEEDED BEFORE WEMOVE FORWARD TO AN ADULT USEMARIJUANA MARKET.I WILL PROVIDING THE LEGISLATUREWITH THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES.AND TO BE CLEAR, IF THEY AREWILLING TO WORK WITH ME ON A NEWBILL PASSED DURING THE VETOSESSION THIS SUMMER, THERE IS APATH FORWARD.FIRST, AND AN ATTEMPT TO EQUATEMARIJUANA WITH ALCOHOL, THISBILL APPEARS T WEAKEN PENALTIESFOR THE DISPENSING AND SARAH OFMARIJUANA -- SALE OF MARIJUANATO MINORS.WEAKENING THESE PROTECTIONS ANDPENALTIES SHOULD BE TOTALLYUNACCEPTABLE.SECOND, I AM ASKING FOR CHANGESTO MORE AGGRESSIVELY PENALIZECONSUMPTION WHILE DRIVING ANDUSAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF MINORS.FOR EXAMPLE, THIS WILL STATESTHAT ONE CANNOT USE MARIJUANAAND A VEHICLE, BUT IF AN ADULTIS SMOKING WITH A MINOR IN THECAR, THERE IS ONLY A SMALLPENALTY F AN ADULT HAVING ANOPEN CONTAINER OF ALCOHOL.WE MUST REMEMBER THAT MARIJUANAIS NOT ALCOHOL NOR TOBACCO.HOW WE PROTECT CHILDREN ISINCREDIBLY IMPORTANT HERE TOTHIS IS NOT JUST A CONCERN ABOUTIMPAIRED DRIVING.ACCORDING TO OUR BEST INTEL,SECONDHAND MARIJUANA SMOKE CANNEGATIVELY IMPACT A CHILD'SDEVELOPMENT.THEREFORE, IF A ADULT ISSMOKING MARIJUANA IN A CAR WITHA CHILD, IN MY VIEW, THAT SHOULDBE MORE HEAVILY PENALIZED.IT MUST INCLUDE A BROADERMEMBERSHIP INCLUDING THEDEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY,DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, DEPARTMENTOF TAXES, AND THE SUBSTANCEABUSE AND PREVENTION TREATMENTCOMMUNITY.THE COMMISSION ITSELF SHOULD BECHARGED WITH DETERMININGOUTCOMES SUCH AS AN IMPAIRMENTTHRESHOLD FOR OPERATING AVEHICLE.A STRATEGY TO ADDRE USE BYMINORS AND A PLAN FOR CONTINUEDMONITORING AND REPORTING ONIMPACT TO PUBLIC HEALTH.IN ITS WORK DEVELOP AREGULATED SYSTEM, THE COMMISSIONMUST ALSO GENERATE AN ESTIMATEREQUIRED FOR T REGULATION,ENFORCEMENT, EDUCATION, ANDPREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS ITSHALL MAKE.AS THE BILL CURRENTLY STANDS,LEGISLATION FOR A REGULATEDSYSTEM WOULD BE INTRODUCEDBEFORE THE PERSONAL POSSESSIONAND CULTIVATION LAWS HAVE EVENCHANGED.I BELIEVE THE COMMISSION SHOULDBE ALLOWED TO TAKE MORE TIME TOTHOUGHTFULLY CONSIDER ITS WORKON THIS ISSUE.GIVEN THE GRAVITY OF THIS POLICYCHANGE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THECOMMISSION HAVE AT LEAST A YEARBEFORE MAKING FINALRECOMMENDATIONS.I WANT TO REITERATE THAT WE CANALL WORK TOGETHER ON THIS ISSUEIN A THOUGHTFUL AND RESPONSIBLEWAY.I HAVE ALREADY REACHED O ABOUTCREATING A REGIONAL HIGHWAYSAFETY STANDARD.INFORMATION GATHERED ANDPROGRESS MADE WITH CONAN -- IFTHE LEGISLATURE AGREES TO MAKETHE CHANGES I AM SEEKING, WE CANMOVE FORWARD WITH THISDISCUSSION IN A WAY THAT ENSURESTHE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY OFOUR COMMUNITIES, AND OURCHILDREN CONTINUE TO COME FIRST.WITH THAT, I WOULD BE HAPPY TOTAKE ANY QUESTIONS.>> WHAT SPECIFICALLY DOESLEGISLATURE -- IS REALLYFEASIBLE THAT THEY COULD DO THISBY JUNE 1?>> I BELIEVE SO.IF THERE IS A WILLINGNESS TOCOME TOWARD A COMPROMISE IN OURDIRECTION, WE WOULD BE WILLINGTO WORK WITH THEM.>> WOULD THERE BE A -- WHILEIT'S BEING DRAFTED?>> NO.THERE IS A BIT OF A SURPRISETHAT CAME WITHIN THE LAST THREEOR FOUR DAYS ON ANOTHER BILL,BUT THAT NO -- THE FENTANYL BILL.THEY PUT PROVISIONS OF THE HOUSEMEASURE ALONG WITH PROVISIONS OFTHE SENATE AND A PAST THE BILL.WE DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITYAT THAT POINT TO WEIGH IN.I THOUGHT WE ARE GOING TO HAVETHE DISCUSSION NEXT YEAR.EVEN AS THE EIGHT 170 WASBEING DRAFTED -->>H-170 WAS PROBLEMATIC.TYPICALLY IT GOES TO THE OTHERBODY AND YOU ARE ABLE TO MAKESOME CHANGES THAT WOULD MAKE THEBILL BETTER.>> GIVEN YOUR CALL FOR AROADSIDE TEST, DOESN'T THAT MEANTHAT THE VETO SESSION ISFUNCTIONALLY BETTER -- DAVID: WHAT I AM --GOV. SCOTT WHAT I AM SAYING ISWHAT YOU DO BEHIND CLOSED DOORS-- VANESSA: THAT IS GOVERNOR SCOTTMAKING HIS DECISION ON THEMARIJUANA BILL.HE SAYS HE IS NOTPHILOSOPHICALLY OPPOSED TOLEGALIZING MARIJUANA IN VERMONT,BUT HE SAYS A LOT OF QUESTIONSARE NOT ANSWERED IN THIS BILLREGARDING PUBLIC SAFETY, HEALTH,FUNDING.HE SAYS HE WANTS TO SEND IT BACKTO THE LEGISLATURE SO SOME OFTHESE ANSWERS CAN BE WRITTEN INTHERE.WE'LL HAVE MORE ON THEGOVERNOR'S DECISION COMING UPLATER TONIGHT AT 5:00 P.M. WE WILL HAVE ALL COVERAGE OF

Vermont governor vetoes marijuana legislation

Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed a bill that would have legalized recreational marijuana in Vermont.

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Updated: 1:43 PM EDT May 24, 2017

MONTPELIER, Vt. —

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed a bill that would have legalized recreational marijuana in Vermont.

He announced the decision Wednesday afternoon at a press conference in the Pavilion Building in Montpelier.

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The governor said he was not "philosophically opposed" to marijuana, but lawmakers have to address certain issues before committing the state to legalization.

The bill would have legalized adult possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana, and allow Vermonters to grow a couple of plants at home, starting in July, 2018.

The legislation would have set up a new study commission to consider adoption of a fully regulated marijuana market.

Scott said he read the text of S. 22 over the weekend and found some of his concerns were addressed by lawmakers. He had been worried about how highway safety would be affected by legalization, and how the bill would protect children.

Lt. Governor David Zuckerman denounced Scott's decision, saying he ignored the will of voters.

"Prohibition has failed and causes approximately 100,000 Vermonters to be labeled lawbreakers," Zuckerman said. "Vermont is now lagging behind other states in the region and is missing opportunities to capture revenue from an underground market that would allow us to address highway safety, drug education and treatment, and other needed state investments to reduce the temptation of drug use."

The president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana released a statement responding to the governor's decision.

"We commend Governor Scott for vetoing S22 and backing parents, teachers, doctors and law enforcement across Vermont who are working each day to make our communities healthier and safer," SAM President Kevin Sabet said. "Vermont already decriminalized marijuana years ago --- this bill was designed to be a gateway for the full scale commercialization of another drug in Vermont."

Sabet added, "But our work is not over. There will be a special session next month to discuss a path forward. We will be working very closely with our allies to make sure any piece of legislation does not allow Big Marijuana to come to Vermont."

The American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter also agreed with the governor's decision, asking Scott to "oppose any forthcoming special-session legislation that would cause harm to Vermont's children and adolescents."

This version of the bill is now dead. The legislature can create another recreational marijuana bill in January, when the new session begins. There is no guarantee lawmakers will do this.

This is the second year in a row an attempt to legalize recreational marijuana has failed. Last year, lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives had two plans. They could not create a compromise bill and ran out of time.